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Pack Hierachy
Pack and Hierarchy Alpha - The leaders of a wolf pack are the alpha male and the alpha female, often distinguishable by their raised tails. Being parents of most of the other pack members, the alpha pair hold the allegiance of the rest of the pack. They maintain this allegiance by continually asserting themselves over their offspring from birth through maturation. For example, on small kills, yearling and other subordinate pack members can only feed by deferring to the alpha pair and often begging from them. Alpha animals are usually mature adults, and they can hold their alpha position for as long as eight years. When traveling, the alpha male usually heads the wolf pack and chooses the route, but the alpha female is close to him in line. 'Beta' - Most likely to replace the current alpha of the same gender. A beta male lowers his head and tail when around the alpha pair to let them know he will obey them. Subordinate - These are usually young animals, but occasionally are former alphas who have lost their positions. If they remain with the pack, subordinates play a strong and important role in helping care for and feed the pups. An unknowing observer watching subordinates around a den would be unable to distinguish their behavior from that of the actual parents. At times, the nurturing by these subordinate helpers may even allow more pups to survive. 'Omega or Scapegoat '- In large packs of wolves, there is often a lowest-ranking member who becomes the focus of the pack's social aggression. Referred to by behaviorists as the "omega" wolf, this animal seems to be a scapegoat and may actually become an outright outcast. This may be part of the process by which pack members disperse and become independent, rather than remain at the bottom of the pecking order or on the fringes of the pack. A scapegoat keeps its fur and ears flattened, its body close to the ground and its tail often tucked between its legs. 'Lone Wolf '- A young adult which has left the pack. It may find a new, suitable place to live and mate. Like a family, the Wolf pack is a social unit. The pack consists of the breeding pair, or parents, called the alphas and their daughters, sons, sisters, and brothers. The alphas are not always the biggest Wolves in the pack, but are generally the toughest and most respected. Wolf packs have from two to an undetermined number of individuals. The average Wolf pack consists of four to seven individuals, with packs having as many as thirty-six members documented, and packs having over fifty members rumored about. In Europe, Wolf packs are smaller, having just three or four Wolves each. The pack is led by the alpha male and/or female. The term "alpha" was coined in 1974 by Rudolph Schenkel, a Swiss animal behaviorist. The alpha male usually controls the activities of the other Wolves in the pack, but occasionally a very strong female who has usurped control from him. The pack structure benefits Wolves greatly in places where they may act unrestricted by human beings. As the old saying goes, "there is power in numbers," and this especially comes into play when Wolves hunt as a group or collectively care for and teach their puppies. Hunting as a group allows the taking of larger pray; the Wolves can relay in the chase, thus conserving their strength, and bringing to bear more claws and fangs on their intended meal. Where human beings resort to shooting Wolves for depredation of livestock, or acts of artificially contrived population control, the pack structure can actually act as a disadvantage, as Wolves can be killed en masse from airplanes and helicopters. When a pack alpha is deposed by the pack, which means forcefully removed form the pack, or becomes the victim of a fatal injury or illness, the pack may have only the remaining alpha for a time until another suitable mate is selected. Deposition may result in the death of the ousted member as a frenzy of violence, sort of like mob mentality, may lead the pack to chasing the deposed Wolf to exhaustion and then killing him or her. Control of the males is generally the duty of the male alpha, and the females by the alpha female, although either leader may dominate the subordinates of either gender. Alpha Wolves maintain their rank by simple respect; which is granted by their ability to dominate other members of the pack in ritual combat. When one Wolf seeks to dominate another challenge is made and if the challenged Wolf does not submit a fight may result to determine which Wolf is superior. Repeatedly winning these contests results in a reputation within the pack, making the dominating Wolf the pack leader. The leaders of an established pack retain the right to mate, not through title, but through the ability to keep other Wolves of their gender from copulating with others during the mating season. The alpha male usually accepts the strongest female to mate with; and this tends to be the same female year after year unless she is deposed. The alphas are the first Wolves to feed at the site of a pack kill. Beta Wolves are strong Wolves who may repeatedly challenge their alphas for rule of the pack. The beta male may attempt to mate with the alpha female during mating season and the alpha male must chase him away to make sure he doesn't. The same thing applies to the beta female, who may try to entice the alpha male to mount her until chased away by the alpha female. The betas are also able to dominate the other subordinates upon virtually every challenge issued by them. The Omega Wolf is the male or female at the bottom of the hierarchy. The omega Wolf is usually the last to feed at the site of a pack kill. The omega seems to be the scapegoat for the other Wolves and generally slinks and submits at the least act of aggression by others. When the alpha is in a particularly grouchy mood he may not allow the omega to feed, or constantly dominate him or her. The omega plays an important role in the pack by acting as a kind of social glue, allowing frustration to be vented without actual acts of war, which could threaten the pack structure, from breaking out. It is interesting to note that in packs that have been observed losing their omega, the entire pack has entered into a long period of mourning where the entire pack stops hunting and just lays around looking miserable. Omegas have been known to become stronger and literally fight their way back up the ranks to take a place among the subordinates; this can happen if they repeated win challenge against other Wolves.